Merry-go-round.



No. 020,901. PATENTBD MAY 15, 1906. J. L. ARIZTIA.

MERRY-GO-ROUND.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 9, 1005.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT l.

- 0 lT/VESSE a l/VVE/VTOR $9; 2 l 0 JUAN i... AFQZTIA W J BY I H1 w W RI ATTORNEYS m 820,901. PATBNTED MAY 15, 1906. J. L. ARIZTIA.

MERRY-GO-ROUND.

APPLIGATION FILED MAYQ, 1905.

Z SHEETSSHBET 2.

ATTORNEYS NITE I STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 15, 1906.

Application filed May 9,1905. Serial No. 259,569.

- To aZZ whom it may concern.-

ed and adapted to be ridden by persons using the apparatus. I havedevised an improvement in which a series'of annular platforms or railsis substituted for the ordinary rotatable platform, the same beingsupported and adapted to travel circularly on flanged rollers fixed onhorizontal shafts radiating and driven from a common center.

The details of construction, arrangement, and operation are ashereinafter described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is mainly a plan view of my improved apparatus, aportion being broken away to show the details of construction andarrangement. Fig. 2 is a side view of a portion of one of the annulartraveling rails and a vertical post attached thereto-and supporting aquadruped arranged for riding. Fig. 3 is a central vertical section ofthe apparatus. Fig. 4 is a plan view illustrating the arrangement of thecentral gearing of the apparatus. Fig. 5 is a sectional perspectiveillustrating the construction and arrangement of the flanged annularrails in connection with the flanged rollers upon which they aresupported and by which they are caused to travel. Fig. 6 is a detailvertical section illustrating the relation of the annular rails to afixed platform and the supports for the latter.

As will be understood by reference to Figs. 1 and 3, a horizontal fixedplatform 1 is supported upon vertical posts 2. (See also Fig' 6.)Exterior to and concentric with this platform I arrange a series of,preferably two, circular movable rails or platforms 3 and 4, the samebeing flush with the fixed platform 1 and provided with pendent flanges5, (see Fig. 5,) that run on rollers 6 and 7, having annular flanges 8,which are arranged on opposite sides of the flanges 5, at tached to therails 34. The rollers 6 7 are mounted fast upon shafts 9, which, asshown in Figs. 1 and 3, are arranged radially with reference to a commoncenter and provided with bevel-gears 10, meshing with a masterwheel 1 1.The latteris provided with a pendent stub-shaft 12, (see Fig. 3,) whichenters a socket in a base-piece 13, antifriction-balls 14 beingpreferably arranged between the parts 11 13, as shown. The severalradial shafts 9, carrying'the rollers 6 7, as before stated, aresupported in suitable bearings 15, consisting of vertical posts securedupon a suitable foundation. For driving the central or master gear 11 Iprovide one of the shafts 9 with an extension 9, (see Figs. 1 and 3,)which is geared with a motor-shaft in any suitable manner. In thisinstance I illustrate a large driving-gear 16 and a motorshaft 17, thesaid gear being interposed between the shafts 9 and 17, as will bereadily understood. A clutch 18 of any suitable construction is appliedfor connecting and disconnecting the short shaft 9 and the shaft 9,which is alined with it.

It will now be understood that if the motor-shaft 17 be set in rotationthrough the medium of the gear 16, the shaft 9 and the alined shaft" 9,clutched thereto, the central master-gear 11 will be rotatedcorrespondingly, and thus the three other radial shafts 9 will be causedto rotate. Since the annular rails or platforms 3 4 are supported uponand held in place by the flanged rollers 5, applied to the severalshafts 9, they will be carried or driven by reason of the rotation ofsaid rollers and at different speeds, owing to the fact that the rail 3is of less diameter than the rail 4. A certain momentum being acquiredby the means described, the rails 3 4 may be re leased from the motor byoperating the clutch 18 and leftto travel until their momentum isexpended.

Each of the rails 3 4 is provided with a series of vertical posts 19,(see Figs. 1, 2, 3,) and upon these posts horses or other quadrupeds oranimals or receptacles for carrying persons are detachably supportedthatis to say, the posts 19 are adapted to enter sockets formed in the bodyof the dummy animal or receptacle, such as a sleigh-body, which may besubstituted therefor. By making the animals or receptacles detachable Iprovide for convenient change or removal of the same as conditions mayrequire, also for storage or transportation of .the apparatus.

A prominent feature of the apparatus and one conducing greatly to theamusement and interest derived by and awakened in the riders is theuncertainty at what point the respective rails 8 4 and the animals orreceptacles carried thereby will be arrested or stopped. Thus at eachpost 19 a line is drawn transversely ,across the face or top of eachrail3 4:, and upon the fixed platform 1 I arrange a movablestop-indicator consisting of a quadrilateral plate 20 and a radial arm21, having a terminal claw or hook that enters a hole in the center ofthe platform 1. This device may be shifted around on the platform 1 andleft at any point which may be selected or desired. When the rails 3 4stop travel or rotation, that one of the animals supported thereby whichis opposite the indicator 20 is declared the winner. Thus, as shown inFig. 1, a horse is indicated opposite the plate or card 20, andconsequently the boy or other person riding the horse will be declaredthe winner of the contest. If it chances that two horses and riders comeopposite the card 20 when the travel of the rails 3 4 stops, that horsewill be declared the winner which is nearest the front end or corner ofthe plate 20. The length of the latter is such relative to the distancebetween the posts 19 that two horses on the same rail cannot be withinthe limits of the length of the plate at the same time.

It is to be understood that in the case of a quite large apparatus orone whose platform has a large radius it may be necessary to providesupplemental roller supports for the flanged rails 3 4 at pointsintermediate of the shaft 9. This feature is, however, not a matter ofinvention, and it is therefore unnecessary to illustrate it.

That I claim is 1. The improved apparatus for the purpose specifiedcomprising a driving-shaft, a master-gear driven thereby, a series ofshafts geared with the n1astergear and radiating therefrom, flangedrollers keyed on the several radial shafts equidistantly from the commoncenter, and annular rails having pendent base-flanges resting upon andheld in place by the aforesaid flanged rollers, substantially asdescribed. I

2. The improved apparatus for the pur pose specified comprising acentral mastergear, a series of shafts geared therewith and radiatingtherefrom and each provided with flanged rollers spaced apart, annularrails having pendent flanges that travel on and are held in place by thesaid flanged rollers, and provided with a series of posts for supportingdummy animals, a driving-shaft, and

means for detachably connecting it with one of the aforesaid radialshafts, substantially as described.

3. An apparatus for the purpose specified, comprising a centralmaster-gear and a series of radial shafts operatively geared therewithand provided with rollers arranged equidistantly from the common center,and an annular platform or rail supported upon and adapted to be drivenby the several rollers, substantially as described.

4. An apparatus for the purpose specified,

comprising a fixed circular platform, a driving-gear arranged centrallythereof, a series of radial shafts having rollers on their outer ends,the same being spaced apart, a series of annular rails traveling on saidrollers and provided with a series of vertical posts, and a shiftablestop-indicator comprisingfa plate and a radial arm pivoted to the centerof the fixed platform and adapted for use "in the manner described. J

5. In an apparatus for thepurpose specified, the combination, withasuitable central support, a series of annular rails arranged exterior toand concentric with such support, means for supporting said rails andcausing them to travel, and a stop-indicator pivotally connected withsaid support so that it is adapted to be shifted around the centerthereof, and comprising a laterally-extended portion and a radial arm,substantially as described.

JUAN LUIS ARIZTIA.

l/Vitnesses:

SOLON O. KEMON, AMOs W. HART.

